Representatives of NGOs have requested a meeting with President Sadyr Japarov to discuss the draft law on NGOs as "foreign agents" and the threat they pose to society and the state. They have sent a letter to the head of state.
NGO representatives are dismayed by the unprecedented vilification of the sector on certain social media platforms and by some members of the Jogorku Kenesh.
"The actions taken to restrict the activities of NGOs, the adoption of discriminatory laws targeting this sector, affect the reputation of the state on the world stage. Tens of thousands of people are engaged as volunteers in organizations to provide socially beneficial activities for various categories of citizens, communities, and the state.
The achievements of the Civil Society of Kyrgyzstan directly depend on the role of citizens as government partners and development partners," the letter states.
It is noted that Kyrgyzstan has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most progressive countries in Central Asia and Eurasia in terms of ensuring and protecting fundamental human rights and freedoms, creating legal conditions where civil society assists the Jogorku Kenesh, the president, and the cabinet of ministers in fulfilling their main mission - improving the living conditions of citizens.
"Unfortunately, the provisions of the draft law undermine and reverse Kyrgyzstan's efforts in this area and weaken its ability to develop human resources, attract foreign investments, benefit from the support of its citizens and the international community to maintain the country's sustainable positions as a democratic state," the NGOs highlight.
The NGO sector calls for the rejection of the draft law that contradicts the Constitution of Kyrgyzstan and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
It is worth reminding that today the Jogorku Kenesh adopted in the third reading the draft law on "foreign agents" (analogous to the foreign agent law in Russian legislation), officially known as the draft law "On Amending the Law on Non-Profit Organizations."
